Helping Homeless - The Sanctuary in Toronto

Before Nada Thomson used to help organize people's residence, now at the Sanctuary Mission she helps individuals to organize their lives. In 2006 Nada started assisting the poor after years of owning a company called Artful Organizers, where she was a personal organizer.

As a Christian charity, it wants to support those members of the community who would otherwise be ignored. It is accessible to all religious systems and every ethnic backgrounds. There are individuals from a large age range and both men as well as women. Each year the Sanctuary helps thousands of people in need, seeing about 500 different people each week.

The street outreach team does an exceptional job, going out to the community on their own turf, offering and giving support such as meals and Children's Aid. They also maintain a health clinic and a psychiatrist, or substance abuse support or physical rehab for their body. Procuring a job is another problem faced by the people the mission help, so employment training is provided giving life skills to those who in the past had few.

To rejoice in Xmas, the Sanctuary holds a large Christmas feast which takes place each year. They have had a church contribute some Christmas gift bags and they do have talent shows and they do a play � the Screaming Monkeys. Other events are put on throughout the year, with September seeing a music concert in the park with a corn roast, a 5k walk for poverty in the summer and a spring play. The events are not just for the people who rely on the mission for help, anyone that contributes is welcome, this way they can see their money is put to good use. There really should be no difference between rich and poor, individuals are part of a larger community organisation. Those that feel that they have no pride left are helped to see that their life is worth more, therefore giving them back their dignity. To really help these people, time, a feeling of community and friendship are just a couple of things that make a difference to an individual previously spurned by society.

We're not here to replace social services, we're here to work alongside social services, Thomson states. The people the mission find are regarded as friends and are now living inside rather than on the street. They would not be able to do this without someone to help them find a house and help them find furniture.

The tragedy of a young female, born and growing up in Toronto is one of the Sanctuary's success stories and gives you an idea of the help we give. Not too soon after this child was birthed, she was sent into foster care. This woman's aunt set her cot on fire. Cockroaches were all over her tiny body when her grandmother saw her one day. but she was sexually abused. Once in foster care the heartache did not end, with numerous foster families, addictions and relationships that didn't last, this, now young woman, was at a very low point in her life. Lots of people supported her her and this lady has now been a regular at Sanctuary for four years.

Julie Kinnear is Toronto MLS Listings specialist and charity enthusiast.